SDL plc

SDL is an abbreviation for "Software and Documentation Localization".[2][3]

The company was founded by Mark Lancaster with nine employees in 1992. It opened its first overseas office in France in 1996[4] and was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1999.[4] The company grew organically and via acquisitions. SDL acquired Polylang Multimedia in 1998, International Translation & Publishing (ITP) in 2000, Alpnet in 2001, and the machine translation (MT) assets of Transparent Language in 2001. It bought Trados, a rival translation memory (TM) developer, in 2005.[5] In 2007, the company acquired Tridion, a content management system vendor,[6] and PASS Engineering, developers of the Passolo software.[7]

In 2008, it bought Idiom Technologies, a global information system management business.[8] In July 2009 SDL acquired XyEnterprise in an all-cash transaction to add XML Professional Publisher as well as Contenta content management software and LiveContent to manage and deliver XML. This unit combined with Trisoft formerly Infoshare.[9] In December 2009, SDL acquired Fredhopper, a Dutch eCommerce onsite search and navigation, onsite targeting and targeted advertising software vendor.[10] Later that same year, it bought Xopus, another Dutch company and the leader in online XML editing.[11] In May 2011 SDL acquired Dutch-based Media Asset Management company, Calamares,[12] in 2012 the campaign management and social media analytics company, Alterian,[13] and in 2013, bemoko, a supplier of internet software for mobile devices.[14]

In January 2016, having undertaken a strategic review, SDL announced the divestment of Fredhopper and Alterian as non-complementary to its new strategy.[15]

In August 2020 RWS Group announced a proposed takeover of the company for £809 million.[16] The transaction was completed on 4 November 2020.[17]

SDL provided software for language translation purposes.[18]